Bryant has L.A. guessing which way he'll turn next

Before it could fully sink in with die-hard followers of the Lakers, Bryant's ultimatum zigzagged as he appeared on two more radio shows, an apparent realization by the nine-time NBA All-Star that, well, things just might turn out OK after all and he might like to stay.

Then, late in the afternoon, Bryant told The Times that, sorry for the confusion, but he still wanted to be traded.

Somehow, Wednesday took the prize for the most chaotic part of a four-day span, the latest chapter of an unforgettable period in Lakers history, jump-started by Bryant's remarks in Sunday's editions of The Times that, "I'm still frustrated. I'm waiting for them to make some changes."

It was a direct shot at the Lakers' upper management, a warning note from the franchise's cornerstone that he had been increasingly disenchanted since the team's quick exit in the first round of the playoffs this month. The Lakers, accustomed to winning championships almost as often as presidential elections -- they've won nine since moving to Los Angeles in 1960 -- but haven't earned one since 2002.

Bryant, who turns 29 in August, has already taken part in three championship parades, but, after three disappointing seasons, he was apparently too unhappy with the Lakers management.

So Wednesday morning, Bryant sighed deeply and said the words he never envisioned he would say.

"I would like to be traded, yeah," he told ESPN radio. "As tough as it is to say that, as tough as it is to come to that conclusion, there's no other alternative. They obviously want to move in a different direction as far as rebuilding.

"I just want them to do the right thing

Not more than a couple of hours later, Bryant apparently came back to Earth and softened his trade demand in an interview with KLAC radio in Los Angeles.

"I can only hope that they do something because I don't want to go no place else. I don't want to," he said. "I want to stay here. I hope they can do something."

Bryant wants a few new teammates, some game-changing pieces to join him here in L.A., but the Lakers, already burdened with a big payroll, could acquire them only by making some eye-opening trades, which Bryant would endorse heartily.